It can be desirable in many situations to increase the security on a door by, for example, installing a stronger lock or additional locks or bolts at additional locking points around the door. However, it is not always possible or convenient to make these types of permanent installations on a door, for example in a rented home or office, a hotel or hostel room, or in student accommodation. In situations such as these it is desirable to increase the security of a door using non-permanent means. One well known method is to jam a chair under the door handle but unless the chair is of the right size and construction this will not hold the door for long. One solution which has been proposed extends this approach of jamming a door closed by locating a bar at an angle between the door handle and the floor behind the door. While this is an improvement over the use of a chair, the connection between the bar and the door handle is prone to failure and the bar can extend significantly beyond the door, presenting a trip hazard.
An aspect of the invention provides a door brace comprising a door engagement member, a leg and an engagement foot. The door engagement member comprises a bottom flange and an engagement wall. The bottom flange is adapted to be located under a bottom edge of a door. The engagement wall extends generally upwardly from the bottom flange and has one face adapted to be located against part of one side of the door. The leg comprises a fixed length section and an adjustable length section. The fixed length section has one end hingedly connected to an opposite face of the engagement wall such that the leg is movable between a bracing position in which the leg extends at a first angle to the engagement wall and a released position in which the leg extends at a second, smaller angle to the engagement wall. The adjustable length section is provided at a distal end of the fixed length section and has a length adjustable between a first length and a second, longer length. The engagement foot is provided at a distal end of the adjustable length section of the leg. The door brace has a bracing condition in which the leg is in the bracing position and the adjustable length section of the leg has the second length. The door brace has a released condition in which the leg is in the released position and the adjustable length section of the leg has the first length.
The angle of the leg in the bracing condition is set by a user moving the leg into the bracing position. Unlike the prior art, the user is not required to select the angle that the leg should have in the bracing condition but merely to move the leg into the bracing position, which has a preselected angle. This may ensure that the leg is arranged at an optimal angle in the bracing condition, to provide optimal bracing to the door. The construction of the door brace for location against part of a lower edge of a door may enable the door brace to be of a smaller size than the prior art devices which engage with a door handle. This may increase the portability of the door brace and may make it more convenient for a user to carry the door brace with them to, for example, secure the door of a room in a hostel, hotel or student accommodation.
In an embodiment, the fixed length section of the leg has an angled shape. This may provide improved compactness of the door brace.
In an embodiment, the fixed length section of the leg comprises a first part extending generally in a first direction and a second part extending generally in a second direction. In the bracing position, the first part extends at a first angle to the face of the engagement wall and the second part extends at a second, smaller angle to the face of the engagement wall.
In an embodiment, the second angle is between 10 degrees and 15 degrees. This may provide optimal engagement of the engagement foot with the floor without transmitting an excessive force on the leg, which may cause mechanical failure of the leg.
In an embodiment, the door brace further comprises an adjustable clamp between the leg and the engagement wall. This may provide additional strength to the leg in the bracing position.
In an embodiment, the fixed length section of the leg is substantially straight and the door brace further comprises a lever arm. The lever arm is hingedly connected at a first hinge point to the opposite face of the engagement wall. The fixed length section of the leg is hingedly connected at a second hinge point to the lever arm. The lever arm is movable between an open position in which the leg is in the released position and a locked position in which the leg is in the bracing position and the second hinge point is located closer to the engagement wall than the first hinge point. The lever arm may enable the length of the leg to be set to the longer length, by varying the length of the adjustable length section, while the leg is in the released position. This may provide increased engagement between the foot and the floor.
In an embodiment, the engagement wall and the bottom flange of the door engagement member define a generally L-shaped recess for receiving part of a door at a bottom edge of the door. The door brace may therefore be closely located against the door, for optimal engagement between the door brace and the door.
In an embodiment, the engagement foot has a sole on which a non-slip material is provided. The non-slip material may be one of a rubber pad and a neoprene elastomer pad. The non-slip material may improve the engagement between the foot and the floor. In an embodiment, the engagement foot is rotatably mounted on the adjustable length section of the leg. The angle of engagement between the engagement foot and the floor may optimised by rotating the foot.
In an embodiment, the adjustable length section of the leg comprises a threaded bolt mounted in a correspondingly threaded socket in the fixed length section of the leg. A strong mechanical coupling may therefore be provided between the adjustable length section and the fixed length section of the leg, which will resist downwards force applied through the leg.